Front loader work vehicles are useful in performing earth working such as grading, earth moving, digging, etc. Typically, the work vehicle incorporates a pair of forwardly projecting loader arms to which a scoop or bucket work implement is pivotally connected. A pair of hydraulic actuators actuate the projecting loader arms in vertical directions and a further hydraulic actuator controls the fore and aft pitch pivoting of the work implement. In addition to scoop or bucket work implements, dozer blades, fork lifts, sweepers, etc., have been mounted on the pair of forwardly projecting loader arms. In such work implements, the load is transferred to the two forwardly projecting arms from two laterally spaced points. In the case of a V-plow wherein a pair of plow blades are mounted on a single vertical hinge or pivot, and each blade is actuated by an hydraulic actuation, the load is transferred from the center of the mount to the loader arms.
The present invention provides an adjustable mount for adjustable V-plow blades which efficiently couples and transfers loads from a single centrally located vertical blade hinge or pivot to the spaced loader arms and at the same time provides for rotary adjustment of the hinge about a longitudinal axis which is perpendicular to the axis of the vertical hinge or pivot.
According to the invention, a rear mounting plate assembly, which includes a first swivel plate, coupled to the pair of forwardly projecting loader arms and the fore and aft pitch hydraulic actuator. A T-frame assembly includes a second swivel plate pivotally mounted on a pivot pin mounted in the first swivel plate in the rear mounting plate assembly. A T-frame cross beam and T-frame center tube are welded to a triangularly shaped plate member, with the base of the triangularly shaped member and cross beam welded to the swivel plate to provide a high-strength, load-transferring structure for substantially evenly distributing the load from the central vertical hinge or pivot to the rear mounting plate assembly and thence to the loader arms. The rear mounting assembly includes the first swivel plate which is stationary relative to the loader arms. A plurality of retention pins secured to the first swivel plate and project through a corresponding plurality of arcuate slots on the second swivel plate and retain the two swivel plates in parallel assembly during operation and relative rotation between the rear mounting plate assembly and the T-frame assembly. A double-acting hydraulic actuator is connected between the rear mounting plate assembly and the T-frame assembly to effect rotation of the T-frame assembly relative to the rear mounting plate assembly.
In addition to the triangular shaped plate member welded to the cross beam and T-frame center tube, for the dirt or earth working plow embodiment, a pair of triangular gusset plates are welded at their bases to the vertical hinge in a plane orthogonal to the plane of the triangular plate welded to the cross beam and center tubes, with the end of the T-frame center tube below the approximate center of the vertical hinge. The second swivel plate is strengthened by a pair of brace plates which are welded to the second swivel plate and the upper surface of the triangularly shaped plate member which is welded to the T-frame center and cross beam tubes. One of the pair of brace plates has an overhang which serves as a mounting plate for an hydraulic fluid manifold.
In the snow plow embodiment of the invention, the vertical blade hinge is part of a cowling structure which is pivotally mounted on the end of the T-frame center tube. The pair of triangular gusset plates are not required and a set of springs coupled to the cowling and the T-frame structure provide for full blade trip when the snow plow blades encounter or get snagged on a road surface obstruction; this allows the blades to pivot and pass the obstruction and be returned to normal plowing position by the spring assembly in the manner disclosed in Quenzi U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,519. In this embodiment, the hydraulic actuators for the blades have one end coupled to the cowling structure.
Thus the invention relates to a plow attachment mechanism for skid steer or front loader type work vehicles; and, more particularly, this invention relates to a mounting assembly for V-blade type plows in which at least a pair of blades are hingedly connected on a vertically extending hinge and in which, in addition to the up-and-down and tilt movements of a conventional skid steer utility bucket, the present invention provides for rotation of the blade mounting assembly and blades about an axis running longitudinally of the mounting mechanism of the blades and for movement of the blades to V and scoop positions as well as a straight blade or at all angles desired for plowing. Thus, the invention provides an 8-way blade movement for skid steer type vehicles.
An hydraulic manifold, which is mounted on the brace plate overhang, receives pressurized hydraulic fluid from a supply and solenoid-operated valves control the flow of hydraulic fluid to and from the hydraulic cylinders for the tilt mechanism and for operating the plow blade to any orientation desired. The normal loader arm and pitch control hydraulic system of the front loader are not affected by the invention.
Thus, the plow blades are movable about a vertical axis to V-shape and for plowing and to an inverted V-configuration for a scoop operation. The invention is useful for both snow plowing and for dirt plowing.